DHS's ICS-CERT warns of BrickerBot: IoT malware that will brick vulnerable devices

[steve2470]

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3191046/security/dhs-ics-cert-warns-of-brickerbot-iot-malware-that-will-brick-vulnerable-devices.html

(normally I'd leave this sort of computer stuff in CHaS but this seems pretty important)

Since the emergence of Mirai, you may have wondered if your IoT device has ever been infected with malware; you even may have rebooted the device which would remove the infection. But if your IoT device becomes infected with BrickerBot, you will know because the malware will “brick” it. Just the same, some people will believe the hardware failed.

Radware security researchers previously said BrickerBot malware was responsible for permanent denial of service attacks (PDoS) that would “destroy” the infected devices. PDoS, also known as “phlashing,” is “an attack that damages a system so badly that it requires replacement or reinstallation of hardware. By exploiting security flaws or misconfigurations, this type of cyberattack can destroy the firmware and/or basic functions of system.”

The two versions of BrickerBot, BrickerBot.1 and BrickerBot.2, use “Telnet brute force - the same exploit vector used by Mirai - to breach a victim’s devices.” BrickerBot.1 quickly dropped off the radar, but the second version, which uses TOR nodes for concealment, did not.

Radware reported:

Upon successful access to the device, the Permanent Denial of Service bot performed a series of Linux commands that would ultimately lead to corrupted storage, followed by commands to disrupt Internet connectivity, device performance, and the wiping of all files on the device.